Selkirk

Located in Pulaski, NY (1838)

The Selkirk Lighthouse is located at the mouth of the Salmon River in Richland, NY. It was first lit in 1838 and automated in 1989. It is one of only four lighthouses in the US that retains its original bird-cage lantern.
Commerce was booming at the time the lighthouse was constructed. Two piers were built at the mouth of the Salmon River to improve the harbor. A canal was proposed to connect the Salmon River to Lake Oneida and the Erie Canal. Unfortunately, the canal was never built, and Selkirk faded in importance. With an official beacon no longer justified, the lighthouse was deactivated in 1858. On October 16, 1895, Leopold Joh purchased the lighthouse at auction from the US Government for $155. The lighthouse was first used as Joh’s private residence before it was incorporated into a hotel complex that Joh started to develop in 1899. While on an errand procuring refreshments for his guests, Joh died of a massive coronary on August 21, 1907. His family continued to operate the hotel until it was sold to the Heckle family in 1916.
In 1989, a Coast Guard-approved solar light was installed in the lantern room. On August 6 of that year, the Selkirk Lighthouse was reactivated as a Class II navigation aid. This lighthouse is also known as the Salmon River Lighthouse and is available for rental. The lighthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places on 3/30/79.
Location: at the mouth of the Salmon River in Richland, NY
Type: Wooden octagonal tower supporting the lantern room. The unique "birdcage" lantern room is of a design used before the incorporation of the Fresnel lens and still in excellent condition